Download or read book Power and Constraint The Accountable Presidency After 9 11 written by Jack Goldsmith and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2012-03-12 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The surprising truth behind Barack Obama's decision to continue many of his predecessor's counterterrorism policies. Conventional wisdom holds that 9/11 sounded the death knell for presidential accountability. In fact, the opposite is true. The novel powers that our post-9/11 commanders in chief assumed—endless detentions, military commissions, state secrets, broad surveillance, and more—are the culmination of a two-century expansion of presidential authority. But these new powers have been met with thousands of barely visible legal and political constraints—enforced by congressional committees, government lawyers, courts, and the media—that have transformed our unprecedentedly powerful presidency into one that is also unprecedentedly accountable. These constraints are the key to understanding why Obama continued the Bush counterterrorism program, and in this light, the events of the last decade should be seen as a victory, not a failure, of American constitutional government. We have actually preserved the framers’ original idea of a balanced constitution, despite the vast increase in presidential power made necessary by this age of permanent emergency.
Download or read book Holding Power to Account written by R. Mulgan and published by Springer. This book was released on 2003-10-22 with total page 263 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides a general overview of accountability, a key concept in modern democratic governance. Richard Mulgan draws on examples and analyses from the United States and the United Kingdom as well as other 'Westminster' countries. Major topics discussed include the contrast between accountability in the public and private sectors, the effects of public management reforms on accountability, accountability for collective actions, accountability in networks and the limits of accountability.
Download or read book The Accountability of Power written by Walter F. Mondale and published by . This book was released on 1975 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The senior Senator from Minnesota examines the recent history and expanded power of the Presidency and assesses available means of ensuring greater presidential accountability and reducing chances of presidential transgression.
Download or read book The Self restraining State written by Andreas Schedler and published by Lynne Rienner Publishers. This book was released on 1999 with total page 412 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This text states that democratic governments must be accountable to the electorate; but they must also be subject to restraint and oversight by other public agencies. The state must control itself. This text explores how new democracies can achieve this goal.
Download or read book Reclaiming Accountability written by Heidi Kitrosser and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2015-01-06 with total page 292 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Americans tend to believe in government that is transparent and accountable. Those who govern us work for us, and therefore they must also answer to us. But how do we reconcile calls for greater accountability with the competing need for secrecy, especially in matters of national security? Those two imperatives are usually taken to be antithetical, but Heidi Kitrosser argues convincingly that this is not the case—and that our concern ought to lie not with secrecy, but with the sort of unchecked secrecy that can result from “presidentialism,” or constitutional arguments for broad executive control of information. In Reclaiming Accountability, Kitrosser traces presidentialism from its start as part of a decades-old legal movement through its appearance during the Bush and Obama administrations, demonstrating its effects on secrecy throughout. Taking readers through the key presidentialist arguments—including “supremacy” and “unitary executive theory”—she explains how these arguments misread the Constitution in a way that is profoundly at odds with democratic principles. Kitrosser’s own reading offers a powerful corrective, showing how the Constitution provides myriad tools, including the power of Congress and the courts to enforce checks on presidential power, through which we could reclaim government accountability.
Download or read book Democracy and Executive Power written by Susan Rose-Ackerman and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2021-10-26 with total page 421 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A defense of regulatory agencies’ efforts to combine public consultation with bureaucratic expertise to serve the interest of all citizens The statutory delegation of rule-making authority to the executive has recently become a source of controversy. There are guiding models, but none, Susan Rose-Ackerman claims, is a good fit with the needs of regulating in the public interest. Using a cross-national comparison of public policy-making in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, she argues that public participation inside executive rule-making processes is necessary to preserve the legitimacy of regulatory policy-making.
Download or read book Accountability and the Law written by Piotr Mikuli and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2021-08-12 with total page 225 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book discusses contemporary accountability and transparency mechanisms by presenting a selection of case studies. The authors deal with various problems connected to controlling public institutions and incumbents’ responsibility in state bodies. The work is divided into three parts. Part I: Law examines the institutional and objective approach. Part II: Fairness and Rights considers the subject approach, referring to a recipient of rights. Part III: Authority looks at the functional approach, referring to the executors of law. Providing insights into increasing understanding of various concepts, principles, and institutions characteristic of the modern state, the book makes a valuable contribution to the area of comparative constitutional change. It will be a valuable resource for academics, researchers, and policy-makers working in the areas of constitutional law and politics.
Download or read book The Power of Accountability written by Robin J. Kempf and published by University Press of Kansas. This book was released on 2020-01-20 with total page 190 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Migrant children separated from their parents. A scheme to defraud Cook County using property tax breaks. An undisclosed thirty-year business relationship between city officials in Baltimore. These are the sorts of headlines regularly generated by offices of inspector general (OIGs)—bureaucratic units dedicated to government accountability that are commonly independent of the agencies they are charged with overseeing. In 1976, OIGs were virtually unheard of and were largely at the federal level, but today there are more than 170 OIGs overseeing state and local government entities. Why have OIGs been so widely adopted, and what do they do? How do they contribute to accountability, and what are their limitations? In The Power of Accountability Robin J. Kempf sets out to address these questions with empirical data and to examine the conflicts that have led to variations in the design and implementation of OIGs. In doing so she explores the power of the concept of the inspector general: an institutional model for keeping subnational government units accountable to the public. As more and more government entities have created offices of inspector general, practitioners in this developing field have recommended an archetypal structure for these agencies that assures their authority and independence. Why then, The Power of Accountability asks, have so many states and localities incorporated significant deviations from this recommended model in their design? Through an extensive review of government websites, laws, and ordinances; original surveys of the identified OIGs; legislative histories; and interviews with thirty-eight OIG staff in eight states, Kempf analyzes why OIGs have proliferated, why and how they work differently in various jurisdictions, and what effect these variations in design have on the effectiveness of OIGs as a mechanism of accountability. The ever-expanding call for accountability in government drives the increasing demand for offices of inspector general, which necessarily entails intense political maneuvering. The Power of Accountability is a uniquely useful resource for judging whether, under what circumstances, and how well OIGs fulfill their intended purpose and serve the public interest.
Download or read book Challenging Power written by Cynthia Kaufman and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2020-05-28 with total page 233 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Arguing that we only have democracy when systems of power are held to account, Kaufman examines the real work being done to challenge the operations of power that underlie four unruly social problems: climate change, sweatshop labour, police abuse, and economic deprivation. In Challenging Power, Kaufman pairs each of these issues with an operation of power -- the large scale influence of multinational corporations; the power of governments; the authority of financial markets; and the control inherent in systems of meaning -- and using case studies like the Rana Plaza disaster in Bangladesh and the killing of Eric Garner, forcefully demonstrates what is involved in challenging these operations of power. Advancing a positive message, Kaufman maintains that these networks are not omnipotent and can be challenged if we develop 'mechanisms of accountability' which allow us to conceptualise the nature of these problems and the actions required to resist them. Kaufman provides then, a model for ethical action that allows us to investigate and appreciate our own connections to the powerful forces that control our world.
Download or read book Clarity of Responsibility Accountability and Corruption written by Leslie A. Schwindt-Bayer and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2016-07-14 with total page 219 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Corruption is a significant problem for democracies throughout the world. Even the most democratic countries constantly face the threat of corruption and the consequences of it at the polls. Why are some governments more corrupt than others, even after considering cultural, social, and political characteristics? In Clarity of Responsibility, Accountability, and Corruption, the authors argue that clarity of responsibility is critical for reducing corruption in democracies. The authors provide a number of empirical tests of this argument, including a cross-national time-series statistical analysis to show that the higher the level of clarity the lower the perceived corruption levels. Using survey and experimental data, the authors show that clarity causes voters to punish incumbents for corruption. Preliminary tests further indicate that elites respond to these electoral incentives and are more likely to combat corruption when clarity is high.
Download or read book The Accountability of Expertise written by Erik O. Eriksen and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2021-07-26 with total page 231 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Based on in-depth studies of the relationship between expertise and democracy in Europe, this book presents a new approach to how the un-elected can be made safe for democracy. It addresses the challenge of reconciling modern governments’ need for knowledge with the demand for democratic legitimacy. Knowledge-based decision-making is indispensable to modern democracies. This book establishes a public reason model of legitimacy and clarifies the conditions under which unelected bodies can be deemed legitimate as they are called upon to handle pandemics, financial crises, climate change and migration flows. Expert bodies are seeking neither re-election nor popularity, they can speak truth to power as well as to the citizenry at large. They are unelected, yet they wield power. How could they possibly be legitimate? This book is of key interest to scholars and students of democracy, governance, and more broadly to political and administrative science as well as the Science Technology Studies (STS).
Download or read book DAC Guidelines and Reference Series Accountability and Democratic Governance Orientations and Principles for Development written by OECD and published by OECD Publishing. This book was released on 2014-09-15 with total page 142 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There is growing recognition of the need for new approaches to the ways in which donors support accountability, but no broad agreement on what changed practice looks like. This publication aims to provide more clarity on the emerging practice.
Download or read book The Cambridge Companion to Public Law written by Mark Elliott and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2015-08-21 with total page 295 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A scholarly and accessible examination of key themes, debates and issues in contemporary public law by leading authorities on the subject.
Download or read book Making Yourself Indispensable written by Mark Samuel and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2012-04-12 with total page 238 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An inspirational self-improvement guide from a leader in personal and organizational accountability. Every day, we are faced with decisions from the moment we wake up until the moment we go to bed. Decisions about our families, our business, our futures. We are accountable for making decision, big and small, the cast the paths of our lives. So why do we spend so much time finger-pointing and blaming others? Mark Samuel is a master of accountability. In his book, teaches us how to go from victim to accountable and how to actually do what we say we are going to do. Taking ownership of the power of personal choice, regardless of the obstacles, means not only walking the talk but knowing what talk you are going to walk. Faced with fear of blame, fear of failure and fear of success, Samuel provides inspiration and strategy for impacting the world by achieving your goals. One of Samuel's main arguments in owning accountability is recognizing your current reality. He challenges readers to embrace certain "tools" that can place us in the right frame of mind to accept responsibility and accomplish all of our set goals both individually and as team members including: ·Compassion: in taking accountability, also creating solutions that consider the welfare of all parties involved and for the entire organization in general. ·Openness: let each member of the team, regardless of rank, have a chance to speak up and share their perspective in problem-solving ·Sincerity: acknowledge the current reality with honesty yet without judgment. Call it what it is without criticizing at this stage From identifying the common roadblocks to accountability to focusing on the factor of forgiveness in taking responsibility, Samuel shows readers how to effectively stop the cycle of victimhood and blaming and shows us how to engage in the "accountability loop," a process of pragmatic self-examination, recognition and owning, and action. Using examples from the worlds of business, sports, parables and his own life story, Samuel highly-praised accountability lessons are now available for anyone to learn from.
Download or read book Curtailing Corruption written by Shaazka M. Beyerle and published by Lynne Rienner Pub. This book was released on 2014 with total page 325 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Explores how millions of people around the world have refused to be victims of corruption and become instead the protagonists of successful nonviolent civic movements to gain accountability and promote positive political, social, and economic change."--Publishers website
Download or read book Flipping the Switch written by John G. Miller and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2005-12-29 with total page 146 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In his bestselling book QBQ! The Question Behind the Question, John G. Miller revealed how personal accountability helps to create opportunity, overcome obstacles, and achieve goals by eliminating blame, complaining, and procrastination. The result? Stronger organizations, more dynamic teams, and healthier relationships. Now Miller takes readers to the next level to show how they can use the power of the QBQ! and personal accountability every day. When a light switch is flipped the flow of energy that is released reaches the lightbulb in an instant, bringing it to life. Similarly, asking the right kind of question-a QBQ-is the first step to empowering what Miller calls the Advantage Principles-five essential practices that will lead to a richer experience in every aspect of life: - LEARNING: live an engaged and energized life through positive personal growth and change - OWNERSHIP: attain goals by becoming a solution-oriented person who solves problems - CREATIVITY: find new ways to achieve by succeeding "within the box" - SERVICE: build a legacy by helping others succeed - TRUST: develop deep and rewarding relationships With compelling real-life stories and keen insights, Miller demonstrates how anyone can find success and satisfaction by "flipping the switch."
Download or read book Accountability Politics written by Jonathan A. Fox and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2007-12-13 with total page 464 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How can the seeds of accountability ever grow in authoritarian environments? Embedding accountability into the state is an inherently uneven, partial and contested process. Campaigns for public accountability often win limited concessions at best, but they can leave cracks in the system that serve as handholds for subsequent efforts to open up the state to public scrutiny. This book explores the how civil society "thickens" by comparing two decades of rural citizens' struggles to hold the Mexican state accountable, exploring both change and continuity before, during, and after national electoral turning points. The book addresses how much power-sharing really happens in policy innovations that include participatory social and environmental councils, citizen oversight of elections, local government social investment funds, participation reforms in World Bank projects, community-managed food programs, as well as new social oversight and public information access reforms. Meanwhile, efforts to exercise voice unfold at the same time as rural citizens consider their exit options, as millions migrate to the US, where many have since come together in a new migrant civil society. Since explanations of electoral change do not account for how people actually experience the state, this book concludes that new analytical frameworks are needed to understand "transitions to accountability." This involves unpacking the interaction between participation, transparency and accountability. Oxford Studies in Democratization is a series for scholars and students of comparative politics and related disciplines. Volumes concentrate on the comparative study of the democratization process that accompanied the decline and termination of the cold war. The geographical focus of the series is primarily Latin America, the Caribbean, Southern and Eastern Europe, and relevant experiences in Africa and Asia. The series editor is Laurence Whitehead, Official Fellow, Nuffield College, University of Oxford.
